Week 4 - What Explains Policy Choices - Theories of Policy Making III (Ideas)

Question 1

Once more define CPP?

Answer 1

looking at policy choices
made by one country and comparing them with
policy choices made by other countries.

CPP tries to answer such q-s as:
Why do policies vary in different countries?
What factors explain policy choices?
How do we compare policies across countries?

Question 2

The 3 ‘I’ framework?

Answer 2

• Interests
• Institutions
• Ideas

Question 3

Theory of Policy-Making.
Fill in gaps:
Political science and public policy literature focus on
interests and institutions, but less so on …

Answer 3

‘ideas’

Question 4

What include ideas?

Answer 4

theories
conceptual models
world views
beliefs
ideologies

Question 5

Ideas and Public Policy.
What aspects of policy-makers matter when they
formulate economic, welfare, national securityand
other policies?

Answer 5

Their worldviews, because choices and decisions come from personal backgrounds

Question 6

Ideas and Public Policy.
Different views on family roles: different models of
welfare systems in post-war Europe. Describe the difference b-n Soutern Europe and Scandinavia?

Answer 6

Southern Europe:
policy-makers assumed that families would perform
childcare, hence, limited state-run childcare systems

Scandinavia:
different family systems, policy-makers made no
assumptions, hence, extensive childcare

Question 7

Fill in gaps:
Until policy-makers manage to …, it will be hard to reform policies

… (what?) constrain the range of
policies that policy-makers are likely to consider

Changes may occur – when …
(political and economic transitions)

Answer 7

Until policy-makers manage to break out of these
paradigms, it will be hard to reform policies

Taken for granted paradigms constrain the range of
policies that policy-makers are likely to consider

Changes may occur – when face unusual problems to
which the current world view offers no solutions
(political and economic transitions)

Question 8

Ideas and Public Policy.

What are the features of Normative frameworks?

Answer 8

Policy-makers’ values, norms and beliefs may affect
their position on what policy is the most appropriate
(logic of appropriateness)

Normative beliefs may override self-interests:

Affirmative action policy (privileges for minorities) –
oppression of minorities was no longer considered
legitimate

Question 9

Ideas and Public Policy.

What are the relationship characteristics of Identities and Public Policy?

Answer 9

Nationalism and ethnicity
Race
Region
Tribal (sub-ethnic)
Social class
Labor Unions
Students (1968)
Generation

Question 10

Ideas and Public Policy.

What are some distinct impacts of ideas on the recent development of World Culture?

Answer 10

Western political culture diffused around the world and
homogenized national political institutions

Many states created ‘environment’ ministries after
World War II (gradual understanding that the Earth
is a fragile ecosystem)

Human rights
Voting
Capital punishment

Question 11

How policy actors use Framing policy?

Answer 11

Policy actors frame issues in order to make them
politically salient

They craft frames and use them to legitimize their
policies to the public.

The example case is Kazakh language situation in KZ. Diff. actors frame this situation for their own interests (discrimination of Kazakhs, if pushing discrimination on Russian speakers)

Question 12

Through which institutions ideas affect policy-making?

Answer 12

Think tanks
Universities
Research institutes
Consulting companies

Question 13

Fill in gaps:
Institutions (formal rules and procedures) limit
… on public policy

Ideas also are embedded in …

Answer 13

influence of intellectuals

Ideas also are embedded in law and institutions,
bureaucracies

Question 14

What are some common (mis)perceptions of ideas? (5)

Answer 14

1. People see other states more hostile than they are. Example: Perception of China in KZ?
2. People see other states as more organized, centralized and efficient
3. People tend to overestimate issues important to them; fail to realize that these issues may be unimportant to others
4. People don’t realize that others can see them as a potential threat. Example: Perception of KZ in Kyrgyzstan
5. People tend to ascribe others’ good behavior to their own efforts; bad behavior is others’ own fault

Question 15

What are the features of public-making according to Constructivist theory? (9)

Answer 15

1. Considers policy-making as a social construct:
   Role of identity in policy-making
2. Relies primarily on non-material, ‘ideational’ things in its analytical framework
3. Ideas, goals, threats, fears, symbols and identities shape individual’s perception of reality
4. Ideas, goals, threats, fears, symbols and identities will eventually affect directions of a state’s policymaking
5. State’s government is not a solid unit
6. Governments include individuals with different social, economic, intellectual and cultural backgrounds
7. Unlike policy-style theory, constructivism denies generalizations (‘national policy-style’)
8. No projection of individual characteristics to the entire states
9. If a certain individual happens to govern a state, what policy this state would pursue would depend on that individual’s worldview

Question 16

What are the features of policy-making according to Rational theory? (10)

Answer 16

1. Policy-makers agree on a problem
2. Identify objectives
3. List all policy alternatives
4. Predict all outcomes
5. Determine utility/value of outcomes
6. Choose the optimal alternative
7. Individual decision-makers play minimal or no role
8. Names/faces change; interests and policies persist
9. Assumption that beliefs and interests are shared by all top policy-makers in the country
10. No place for accidental/emotional moves

Question 17

What are the features of policy-making according to Organizational theory? (5)

Answer 17

1. Decisions are outputs of large number of government organizations functioning according to the standard patterns of behavior
2. It is difficult for a bureaucracy to do something contrary to their standard procedures
3. Different bureaucracies have different standard operating procedures and priorities
4. In crisis situations, organizations act according to the pre-established organizational lines
5. Face difficulties when dealing with unexpected situations and developments

Question 18

What are the features of policy-making according to Bureaucratic theory?

Answer 18

1. Policy decisions are results of complex bureaucratic interactions between agencies
2. Bargaining and interactions amongst several players, each with different objectives/interests and differing degrees of influence
3. Individual role more important but still marginal; interests change depending on individual’s position
   in the bureaucratic system. “Where you stand depends on where you sit”
4. Economic policy:
   Ministry of Finance vs. Ministry of Trade vs. National Bank etc.